Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.

Yeah....
A) Killing off Reader is the opposite of locking in. It's more like relinquishing the market to actually be open. Let alone with just two clicks I moved from Reader to Feedly... if that's lock-in, then what is not?
B) The geocoding information is not Google's to give away... It's like asking Google to give away the data behind Google Maps or allow blanket downloads of YouTube content.
C) Deprecating stuff and removing stuff is not lock-in.
D) Yes they removed CalDAV and provided an alternative API.
E) How is tax related to lock-in?